Remember Us
by katy-g
Summary: Remember Us: those words had helped her through when all else failed her; to the end of the war. Now, three months after the final battle, Hermione is still recovering from the ordeal. Help and support are not as hard to find as she expected; but she never expected who she would find herself relying on.
1. Chapter 1

This is my first attempt at a full-length story rather than a one-shot. It might be slow progress but I'll do my best to keep the story flowing. Please stay with me!

_All you recognise in this story belongs to J. with the exception of the two words that somehow inspired this whole thing. "Remember Us" is the message spread by Dilios in the film 300, played by David Wenham._

"This is a message for everyone who can hear it. Spread the word to all who can hear. _Remember Us._ Remember those people who are preparing to stand and fight the greatest terror the Wizarding World has ever known. Remember those who have had to flee for their lives, and have come together to stand up for those who are not able to do it for themselves. Remember the bravery of all those who have not given up or given in; those who have not slunk away to cower until this is all over. Remember those who have had to endure pain and suffering and still have heart. Remember those who have already met their death fearlessly, sacrificing themselves rather than betraying us all. And most of all, Remember the three bravest people I have ever had the fortune to meet. Remember the Chosen One and the two most loyal and fearless friends anyone could ever have. For the few that are preparing to stand against the unknown many, we need your remembrance. We are fighting to give you a future. Your remembrance gives our lives meaning. We do not know whether we shall survive the upcoming war, and we need to know that, if we die, we have died for a purpose. But it is not just for us; this needs to be the last time the world has to face such evil. No-one else should have to suffer this as we are doing. Remember us, and I dare to hope that next time, there will be too many standing together for the evil-minded to attempt to fight."

Hermione, frozen on the spot, could not help but let the tears stream silently down her cheeks. She had only kept the radio on because Harry and Ron were sleeping and she was getting jumpy sat in the entrance to the tent by herself. She hadn't really been listening; _Potterwatch_ had played a while before, and there had just been muggle jazz playing since. Immediately, she had recognised the voice on the radio; but never before had she heard it so earnest, so sincere. It was a voice far more suited to jokes and laughter, and she had never heard it speak for so long without its sentences being completed by another, very similar one. Oddly, though, she was convinced she knew who it was; _Fred._ Ginny had said once that he was the more emotionally intelligent of the two and thinking about what she knew of the twins, Hermione found herself agreeing. Both so similar in so many ways, most people wrote Fred and George off as having identical personalities as much as identical features. Hermione had seen an emotional vulnerability in Fred, but no more than the occasional darkness in his eyes and a tendency to brood in front of the common room fire. More than that, though, she just _knew_ it was him.

She found her feelings to be similar to the earnest words Fred had spoken, and she wondered how many might have heard him speak. She would never have contemplated leaving Harry to his fate alone, and more than anything she wished that nothing this terrible could ever happen again. So many people had been killed in the last war and again in the building troubles now. She wished she could hide until it was all over, but knew that no part of her would have been capable of doing so. _Remember Us._ It was such a simple request, but Hermione knew how powerful those words could be. Resolving to ask him one day, when the war was over, Hermione found her mind a little easier that night.

How long it had been, since they were last gathered here. At Bill and Fleur's wedding there had been that undertone of fear, realised during the reception when everyone had to scatter after the ministry fell. So much had happened, so much that Hermione did not want to think about that day. Today, however, was a celebration at the Burrow. The Weasley family had been reunited at last, three months after the battle. Fred Weasley had recovered from what had been thought of as a fatal accident and this was the first day he had been allowed out of hospital. Mrs Weasley had put the finishing touches to the party decorations and the vast amount of food was laid out on a groaning table in the garden. It seemed, though, that the waiting was getting a little too much for her to deal with. Hermione, seeing the concern tightening the corners of the kindly woman's eyes, made her way over to her.

"Can I make you some tea, Mrs Weasley?"

Blinking, the motherly woman seemed to pull herself together and gave Hermione a smile. "Thank you, dear. There's some in the pot. I hope they do let him out today, the poor boy has been suffering there for so long. It will be nice to have him back at home where I can take proper care of him."

Hermione controlled her smile, wondering how horrified Fred would have been if he had heard his Mother's words. But then, he would probably have more appreciation for it having been through such an ordeal.

She didn't manage to speak to him for the whole of that afternoon. As expected with a house full of Weasleys, there was so much noise and laughter and so many people that Hermione felt as overwhelmed as she was whenever the whole family was gathered. Having spent so many months with just Harry and Ron for company, it was still strange to adjust to the volume and the squashed feeling of there being so many people around. At dinner she found herself between Harry and Ron and across the table from the twins. Ron was stuffing his face as always and Harry was making quiet conversation with Ginny, who sat on his other side. Hermione found herself watching the pair opposite her with some interest. They were easy to tell apart at a distance now. George, baring his battle scars with a fierce type of pride, seemed much as normal until she noticed how carefully he watched Fred, a slight frown creasing his freckled brow whenever he saw something amiss. Fred was still oddly quiet and pale, his hand shaking a little as he lifted his glass. But his smile was certainly genuine and he had not lost the sparkle in his bright blue eyes. His twin's watchfulness was not lost on him but other than the odd touch of a finger on the back of George's hand in a gesture that seemed to bring both of them some reassurance, he did not show that he was aware of it. The mood around the table was jubilant and Hermione let herself join in with the conversation and the laughter, happy to be a part of it.

It was hours later and at last a slight sense of peace had descended on the Weasley household. Harry and Ginny had snuck off somewhere into the gardens; Percy and Ron were involved in a game of Wizard's Chess on the kitchen table which looked to last all night. Mr & Mrs Weasley were sat with Bill and Fleur at the other end of the kitchen, glasses of mead in hand, and chatting softly. Charlie and George were talking Quidditch in the lounge, but with such a level of technicality that Hermione thought they might be speaking another language. Fred was relaxing on a sofa nearby, idly listening to the Quidditch talk but not getting involved. Hermione wandered in from where she had been watching the chess game and paused a little uncertainly, surprised and pleased when Fred's gaze lifted and he smiled slightly. "Stop fussing over everyone else and put your feet up" he said, his voice soft with a hint of laughter behind the words.

Hermione felt her cheeks colour in a slight blush but did as she was told, tucking her feet under her as she sat beside him and returning the smile. "Happy to be back?"

Fred idly rubbed a hand through his untidy hair, leaving reddish gold strands over one eye which Hermione had to fight a strange impulse to push back. "They weren't sure they'd be able to cure me, you know" he said, conversationally. "I might have ended up in St Mungo's forever. It's good to know I'm myself again, that they could cure all of me."

Hermione, remembering Neville's parents, who had been in the hospital since the last war, barely repressed a shiver. All through her school career, Fred and George had burned so brightly. They were so quick and so clever, popular and talented. To see him alive in body but not in mind would have been indescribably awful. "I heard you, you know." She hadn't meant to say it, to blurt out such a peculiar sentence. She knew she had turned red again as she saw genuine confusion etch his brow.

"You really are going to have to explain yourself a little better. I thought you were the intelligent one of the group." It was gently spoken, though, and a faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.

"On the radio" she elaborated, holding up her hand as the frown deepened. "Not just on _Potterwatch_ she said hastily. "Just you, one night." She looked up at him a little shyly, knowing from the sudden lift of his expression that he knew what she was talking about. "I was alone on watch" she told him, suddenly wanting to share how much his words had affected her. "Harry and Ron were asleep and it was dark outside; I was on edge, feeling so alone. And then I heard your voice; I don't know how I knew it was you, but I did. You were saying what I was thinking. All of our pain, our suffering and everything we lost would be worth it if the world could be changed for the better. If people knew what we had done, and how they could stop such awful things happening again, if only they remembered. I just wanted to say thank you." She met his eyes again for the first time since she had started her explanation and was astonished to see the slight sheen of unshed tears in his eyes.

But he held her gaze, quite unashamed, and shrugged his shoulders slightly. "It needed to be said" he told her, his voice soft, drawing her closer to him so she could hear his words. "I don't know why, but it just felt right to say it then. I thought it so unlikely anyone would hear me, but I had managed to get the words to come together in my head and I needed to say them before they moved apart again. I hoped someone might have heard; that I could have made a difference to just one person. I never expected you might be the one to hear it. It was just so _frustrating_ being stuck in hiding; not being able to do anything useful. George and I talked about tracking you guys down; offering our help. We were so stuck in the middle; not old or well-connected enough to be much of a help for the Order; too old to be helping Ginny out at School. Our shop was out of bounds; our workshop under lockdown. Doing nothing is so much worse than doing something. It's why we started the radio show; but we couldn't do that very often; they were out looking for us. I'm glad you found the station; there was so much we knew you couldn't know and we had no idea how to get the information to you. We did our best but I wish we could have done more."

Hermione could see that he was getting wound up and his voice had raised enough for George to cast him a quick, concerned glance. She touched his arm lightly and he seemed to gather himself together, taking a deep breath. "If it wasn't for you, we'd have been caught and killed so many times over" she told him, watching his face with interest as his brain kicked in.

"Harry had some of our stuff, didn't he?" Fred said, the answer dawning on him.

Hermione nodded; relieved to see the darkness had faded from his eyes. "We wouldn't have escaped from the Ministry without you" she said. "Your inventions were all that saved us from certain death. Really, you and George helped us more than anyone else. And if it wasn't for what you said on the radio, I don't think I'd have been strong enough to keep Harry going. Just knowing someone out there was thinking about us made me feel as if we weren't so alone."

"We were always thinking about you guys" Fred told her, his voice soft again and his ready smile tugging just slightly at his lips. "Honestly. When Bill told us he'd seen you, we were so relieved. And seeing you, when we all got to the school…" he trailed off and, for a moment, looked down at his hands, before he gathered himself. "You three gave us all hope that we could actually achieve the impossible."

It wasn't what he was going to say, she was sure of it. But she also knew she wouldn't be able to get the truth from him. As long as she had known them, Hermione had to admit that she did not know the twins very well. They had been at school together for so long, and she had spent holidays with them, but she had barely spent any time alone with them. It was strange, but she found that she was oddly comfortable sitting here with Fred, speaking softly in such an intimate way. She felt that the words they had shared were for their ears only, that this conversation would remain between them.

"We didn't intend to go to the school to fight" Hermione told him. The admission made him start in surprise and she was not even sure why she had said it. But it hadn't sat right with her. Everyone presumed they were there to save the day, but they had only gone to Hogwarts to find the Horcrux they hoped might be there. It had always felt to her as if they had a huge stroke of luck. It could have gone so badly if Voldemort had chosen another location for the part of his soul they hunted. She had expected a look of betrayal at least but when she glanced up she saw a good measure of understanding in eyes she had never realised were so expressive.

"You were on the mission Dumbledore gave you, I know" Fred said. "With a children's story book, a snitch that wouldn't open and a toy to put out lights; how brilliantly Dumbledore." He looked down at her with an expression Hermione couldn't read for a moment, then gave her a grin. "Only Gryffindors would have shown such mad bravery and thrown themselves into that mission without question. Did you ever feel that it shouldn't have been you?"

It was a question no-one else had dared ask her, and she was sure she wouldn't answer honestly. And so, she surprised herself when she nodded. "I did wonder how it was possible the world's fate rested on three people who were barely alive when Voldemort had been vanquished the first time. We were so young, so inexperienced with magic. We had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. It was difficult when Harry first admitted that he had not been given any direction by Dumbledore; that he didn't know what we should be doing next. For months, we just went around in circles, so confused. Always afraid, always moving on. But as it turns out that the only way Harry lived through the ordeal was by being the one to sacrifice himself, I have to be thankful we were the ones who did it. Anyone else would have had to kill Harry to kill Voldemort. I can't look at it any other way, otherwise the things that happened along the way become too hard to bear." It was her turn to have her eyes fill with tears. It may have been three months, but she was yet to have a night free of nightmares. The battles, the vision of the snake lunging to attack them but, most of all, the torture she was put through at Malfoy Manor. Bellatrix Lestrange might have been dead, but the horror of the Cruciatus curse was something Hermione was sure she would never recover from.

A gentle touch to her hand brought her back to the present with a jump and she blinked rapidly, feeling one tear spill over as she did. The tear was caught with one deft finger as Fred gently stroked her cheek.

"Bad dreams?" he whispered.

Hermione nodded slightly, seeing the understanding glow in his eyes. Of all the ways she would have described Fred Weasley before that moment, empathetic would have never made it onto the list. But he was the first person since the war that she had spoken to and the first person she was sure understood more than what she was explaining. "You too?"

"One of the curses that hit me during the explosion has not left my body" he told her. "George knows, and Dad, but we're keeping it quiet. There's nothing anyone can do about it at the moment, so there's not point worrying Mum or the others. It's doing the best it can to pull me apart but I'm not letting it win. It's during the nights that it takes me over, when I'm not conscious and able to fight it off. The nightmares it gives me are unbelievable." He broke off and shrugged, a little awkwardly. "I kind of know what you're going through, so if you need to talk it out with anyone, I'll get it."

"Thanks, but I don't want to make things worse for you" Hermione said, touched by the offer.

Fred snorted. "Waking hours, I'm fine" he told her. "Besides, who are you going to talk to? Ginny's got her hands full for quite some time with Harry's troubles. Are you seriously suggesting you should go to go to Ron?"

The disbelief in his tone made Hermione giggle involuntarily but she was pleased to see the old twinkle back in his eyes. "You make a persuasive argument" she agreed. "It's a deal, but only if it's two-way. You can talk to me too. I know you've got George but I could be a non-biased opinion for you?"

"Deal" Fred said holding out a hand.

Hermione shook it, unable to resist his smile for more than a moment. She had always wondered at the blinding innocence of the twins' smiles, considering they were usually anything but innocent when they used them. This smile was different, though. It was softer, with a gentle look in his eyes she had never seen before. It was an attractive smile, and she found herself hoping she might see it again.

Their talk broken up at that point by George demanding Fred's opinion on a Quidditch match they had both taken part in, Hermione felt a slight regret that their time together was over, but also a measure of relief. She had been confused by their sudden closeness, and more so by the feeling that it was, well, normal. She had known Fred for seven years and was sure that was the longest conversation they had ever had. But she resolved to keep her promise to him; to be there if he felt he needed to talk. She found that she liked this new side of him, and wanted to find out what more there was she didn't know. Fred was sent off to bed shortly after their conversation had ended and Hermione left shortly after, glad of some peace after the noise of the day. She got ready for bed and slid under the covers, wondering what the night had in store for her uneasily. As she had ever since she had shared a bedroom with someone else, she cast a silencing charm on herself before she lay down. It was bad enough having nightmares every night without forcing Ginny to deal with them as well. But sleep came easily for once, a flash of twinkling bright blue eyes appearing just before she drifted off.


	2. Chapter 2

It was after three in the morning when Hermione woke in a cold sweat, shivering and shaking. It had been such an intense nightmare, but she had somehow managed to pull herself awake. Her Malfoy Manor nightmare had blended seamlessly into visions of Harry dead in Hagrid's arms and then both Harry and Hagrid had been swallowed whole by the giant snake, Nagini. The snake had turned to her next and she had seen the great fangs as the snake's mouth had closed over her head. She had woken up just as she had known she was going to die. There was no way she would be able to roll over and go back to sleep. Pushing the covers back, Hermione got out of bed and tiptoed from the room, taking care not to wake Ginny. She took the silencing charm off herself in her now-habitual gesture as she headed down the stairs to make some hot chocolate. It was the only way she had found to settle her frayed nerves at that time of the morning.

She made the hot chocolate and was just stirring a spoon of sugar in when a noise made her jump and spin round, wand raised.

"I'm a friend" a voice whispered hastily. The shadow stepped forward and she saw it was George, no hint of amusement in his wide blue eyes. One large hand closed over hers and lowered the wand. "Having trouble sleeping?"

Hermione's wand clattered to the floor and she put out her free hand to steady herself on the counter behind her. "George, I'm so sorry" she hissed, flushing in embarrassment. "I'm… not quite myself at the moment."

There was a good amount of understanding in the slight quirk of his lips. "We're all a bit on edge" he agreed softly. "Fred's up again; I just came down for some water, but I think hot chocolate is an amazing idea. Why don't you come up and drink yours with us?"

Not being alone sounded ideal and Hermione found herself agreeing. She waited for George to make his and Fred's drinks and followed him up to the twins' bedroom. She stopped a little awkwardly in the doorway, not sure whether Fred would welcome her presence.

He did frown when he saw her and Hermione almost felt like backing away. He had clearly awoken from a nightmare. His face was flushed and sweat had darkened his hair, but he relaxed at a soft word from his twin and managed a slight smile. "Keeping your end of our deal already?" he asked her lightly, beckoning her over.

Hermione shrugged and perched on the foot of his bed. "I don't know that I want to talk about it just yet" she said. "But it'll be nice to have some company until my mind can sort out truth from dreams." She chanced a glance up at him and managed to return his slight smile. She could see that it was a struggle for him as well; the smile had not managed to lift the clouded vulnerability in his eyes.

"Then let's talk of something else" Fred suggested. "What do you want to do, now you're free to do want you want to?"

Hermione frowned. "I'm not sure" she admitted, sending George a quick look as he let out a slight snicker.

He held up his hands in a pacifying gesture. "I'm sorry" he said, with a disarming grin. "But you have to admit it's strange that you don't know something. You've always had the answer."

"True" Hermione conceded gracefully, not able to feel offended when he had been so frank. "I thought about going back to school and finishing my NEWTS, but I don't know that I could face it."

"Sitting in a classroom, or seeing Hogwarts again?" Fred asked her.

"Seeing the school" Hermione said instantly, frowning as she struggled to control a fresh wave of misery. Even the beautiful building itself had been destroyed almost beyond recognition. As a muggle, Hogwarts had become a symbol of magic to her; the place where she had learnt everything about the Wizarding world. To see it destroyed before her eyes had been indescribably horrific. She had not realised how clearly her feelings were showing until she felt a firm hand closing around hers with surprising gentleness. Fred's eyes had been on her, filled with concern, but left hers briefly and focussed on George's. After a moment, he looked back at her, a decision apparently reached between them.

"We've got a suggestion for you" he said, suddenly serious. "We've not told the others yet. We asked McGonagall if we could help to rebuild the school. They're starting in a couple of days so that they can be ready to open for the next school year. Why don't you come with us? You'll be able to work through the difficulties before you make the decision to go back to study. Do you think it might help?"

Hermione turned away from his bright gaze and tried to think. Did she want to face seeing the school at all? She knew she wanted to complete her education, but the nightmares were too real as it was.

"Hermione?"

It must have been the first time Fred had not addressed her as 'Granger' and that alone made her meet his eyes again. She shrugged, uneasily. "I'm not sure" she murmured.

"That's how I feel" Fred said breezily, the taut clench of his jaw the only sign that he wasn't as comfortable as he tried to make out. "I look at it as a facing fear kind of thing. Mad bravery is kind of our metier, us Gryffindors. Just come with us. We'll have a good look around before we agree to anything. We're not going to be the only ones facing demons."

"You make a valid point" Hermione admitted. "It's just I don't want to…"

"…let people down?" Fred cut in, smiling slightly as she nodded.

"That's our worry too" George said. "But we want to try. No-one's going to judge you if you don't feel up to the challenge."

"Why don't you sleep on it?" Fred suggested. "Let us know tomorrow."

"Good idea" Hermione agreed, pleasantly surprised to find they were so able to come up with a logical way of looking at things. Just having sat and talked with them for a little while was enough for her to feel able to face the rest of the night. She set her cup aside and stood up, managing to return their smiles, if a little shakily. "Thanks" she said, barely restraining a yawn. "I'll see you in the morning?"

They nodded and called goodnights as she let herself out of their room and crept back to the one she shared with Ginny.

The rest of the night was passed uneventfully enough and Hermione awoke feeling more cheerful than she had for some time. Ginny had already left the room and so she showered and dressed in peace before heading downstairs. Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Percy had left the evening before and the clock showed that Mr Weasley had already gone out to work and so Hermione knew it would be a quieter day. Mrs Weasley was out in the garden hanging washing out on the line and the only other people in sight were Harry and Ginny, who both said a cheerful good morning.

Hermione accepted the tea Ginny poured her with a smile, glad to see how well Harry looked. Three months with Ginny taking care of him had done wonders for her friend. She knew he was still struggling with the memories, as were they all, but there was a lightness to his smile that Hermione didn't think she had ever seen before. "Any plans for today?" she asked as she buttered some toast.

"We were planning to see Teddy" Harry said, blushing a little at Hermione's warm smile. "I haven't been round since… well, you know."

_Since the funeral._ Hermione knew exactly what he didn't want to say. That day had been heart-wrenching for all of them. To say goodbye to one friend was so hard, but they lost so many good people. She knew that Harry still bore a huge amount of guilt for those who had died; not quite able to banish Voldemort's scathing words; that he had hidden while his friends died for him. She knew that he took his Godfather role seriously as she knew how much it had meant to him when he had Sirius to turn to for guidance. "That sounds like fun" Hermione said, pushing the sad memories away and trying to focus on how good seeing Teddy would be for Harry. "Is Ron not up yet?" Harry and Ginny exchanged a quick look that made Hermione frown.

"Nah" Harry said, not quite meeting her eyes. "He was late to bed last night; said he was talking and lost track of time. He'll probably be around later. Did you want to come with us?"

The last was spoken as an afterthought, as if he just realised she might not want to be left alone. Hermione had to smile; it seemed that Harry had not quite yet learned to be as sensitive as he perhaps ought to be. Some things never changed. "I'll be glad of a bit of peace and quiet" she told him. "I'm not used to all these people."

Harry grinned. "I know what you mean" he agreed. "Well, we'll leave you to it. Come on Ginny, we'll be late."

"See you later, Hermione" Ginny said, draining the end of her tea and standing up.

Hermione waved and started to eat, wondering why they had both looked so shifty when she had mentioned Ron. Come to think of it, this morning wasn't the first time that Harry had made vague excuses for him. She and Ron had found it difficult to spend time alone together for several weeks after the final battle. The kiss they had shared had, at the time, made them both feel that it was 'meant' to be. It had taken less than a week, and several awkward moments, for them to admit to each other that they were definitely better off as friends. Since then, Ron had an odd habit of not being around very much. At first, Hermione had presumed that he was avoiding her until he felt a bit more comfortable with the idea that they weren't destined to be together after all. But at times when she expected him to be with Harry she later discovered that Harry had spent those hours alone. It was a puzzle, but Hermione was sure Ron would tell her what he was up to when he was ready.

She had just poured a second cup of tea when there was a clatter of footsteps on the stairs and then the twins wandered into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing their faces as if they had been awake for less than a minute.

"Morning" Fred said, noticing her first and gently steering George a bit further along the table before he sat down on top of Hermione. Clearly Fred was better at mornings than his brother. "Where is everyone?"

Hermione shrugged. "Gin and Harry have gone to see Teddy; your mum's around somewhere and Ron's apparently still in bed." She didn't miss the quick look that was exchanged over her head, but despite the rising irritation that she was the only one that didn't know some big secret. Vowing to make Ron admit what was going on in the near future, she did her best to dismiss the problem from her mind.

"Have you made a decision yet?" Fred asked her off-handedly as he opened the kitchen cupboards until he found a box of cereal that seemed to meet with his approval.

"I'd like to go with you" Hermione said, her heart replying for her before her brain had time to intervene. "I don't know that I'll be any help when I get there, but I think I have to face up to it. I don't want to hide from it forever."

"We think it's going to help for us to see it before it gets repaired" George told her, choosing to ignore the quick, surprised look Fred shot him and focused instead on pouring out two cups of tea.

"I think if we don't see it until it's back to normal it won't give us chance to deal with what happened."

Hermione paused, thinking over what George said. She hadn't thought about it in quite that way before; and hadn't expected the twins to be the one to put the thought in their head. Their surprising frankness had been so refreshing that she could not help but wish she had had the opportunity to speak to them before. But she would never have supposed that Fred and George would have had any answers for her troubles. "When are you going to tell the others?"

Fred shrugged. "Tonight, I suppose. It starts tomorrow and we should give them the chance to come with us."

"They're not going to want to" George added. "Well, we're not sure about Harry."

Hermione shook her head. "It'll be too much for him at the moment" she said, with certainty. They had discussed going back to the school and Harry's answer had been a vehement 'no'.

"So what does the day have in store for you, Granger?" George asked.

"Not much" Hermione replied, frowning. "It's strange not to have anything to do, especially after this past year."

The twins exchanged a quick glance again, one that seemed to Hermione to contain a whole silent conversation. "If you're bored, we could always use that massive brain of yours to help us out" Fred said, grinning as her eyebrows rose.

"Some explanation needed please?" Hermione said, attempting to remain patient, especially when faced with identical teasing grins.

Fred took pity on her after a moment. "We're going to the shop today and need a bit of help lifting the wards. Remus helped us out with it, so we need three to reverse the spells simultaneously. Up for it, or shall we leave you to your peaceful day?"

Hermione thought that they were only asking because they felt they should, but studied them both for a moment and realised she was just being paranoid. "I'd be happy to help" she told them, easily able to return their sudden smiles.

"Great" George said, pushing his plate away and standing up. "We've just got to get some stuff organised; see you down here in about half an hour?"

She nodded and the twins sent their plates over to be cleaned as they left the room. Hermione was left to herself for a moment, wondering if agreeing to this was such a good idea.


	3. Chapter 3

Having explained to Mrs Weasley where she was going, Hermione was ready when the twins appeared back in the kitchen, each carrying a backpack and wands in hands.

"Ready?" George asked her, smiling as she glanced up at him a little nervously.

"It's probably best to hang on; make sure you end up in the right place" Fred said and, before she could comment, wrapped one strong arm around her and disapparated.

As the sickly swirling in her stomach settled, Hermione's glare vanished as she took in the sight before her. They were in Diagon Alley, right in front of the twins' shop. It was in ruins. Other shops along the street were in various stages of repair; some already trading, some with Witches and Wizards crawling all over them, firing complex incantations and some not much more than ashes.

"Did you get attacked?" Hermione asked them, realising she had never asked them. Everyone had been so eager to find out what she, Harry and Ron had been through that she had not had the chance to ask many questions of her own.

Fred shook his head, a light twinkling in his eyes. "That's where Remus came in" he said. "We asked his advice when things were getting a bit…hairy. He suggested we do this" he gestured at the ruined building before them "before the Death Eaters could do it for us."

"You blew up your own shop?" Hermione asked, astounded.

George laughed. "You know we like blowing up our rooms, Granger, we've been doing it since before you've known us" he said.

"But not this time" Fred cut in, rolling his eyes at his twin. "It's like…camouflage."

"It's not…real?"

"Just illusion" Fred finished for her, smiling as he saw the understanding dawn. "Remus said he used to use it to hide himself during a full moon. He would seal off a room for himself and make it look as if the rest of the place was falling down."

"Are we going to lift it then?" George asked impatiently.

Hermione couldn't quite keep the smile to herself. She had only seen them look like that on the morning of a Quidditch match; burning with anticipation and bouncing with barely constrained energy. She hadn't seen them so excited for months and was surprised that she was so affected by it. Fred taught her the incantation and then the three of them used it together on the shop.

The result was instantaneous. Walls straightened and bricks and tiles tumbled upwards to rebuild the roof. Glass fragments bonded together and the huge front windows were suddenly back in place, gleaming brightly. The great top-hatted figure rolled upwards and sat itself above the door and the shop sign took its place.

Hermione turned to look at the twins, who were both staring up at the shop-front with identical expressions of awe. It was her turn to laugh at them, but there was no mockery in it. She was delighted for them. It had been heart-rending to see the shop in ruins and her mood was instantly lifted to see the familiar bright colours and crazy design. She let them stare a minute longer before she turned to the nearest twin, Fred, and took his arm. "Are we going in then?" she asked.

Spurred into action again, Fred shook George and they walked forward together, pushing open the door and ducking inside.

Hermione paused on the threshold, wanting to let them have a moment to themselves; but only a couple of seconds passed before Fred stuck his head out of the door, a frown marring his good-natured face.

"Aren't you coming in?"

Smiling, she followed them.

Similar to the outside, the inside of the shop appeared to be completely destroyed. Putting this right turned out to be a far more delicate procedure. Each shelf had a different spell placed upon it. Fred and George had wanted to protect their inventions from unwanted attention and had given each product its own ward. The next few hours were spent in intense concentration, only broken when they got the occasional counter-curse wrong. George managed to sprout horns and turn blue; Fred got hit with a particularly violent jelly-legs jinx and Hermione found the whole world suddenly rushing upwards as she shrank with alarming speed.

She heard a quick, panicked shout and then the world righted itself again. Unsteady, she stumbled and a strong arm wrapped around her, catching her before she fell.

Fred looked down at her with an apologetic grin. "Sorry, I forgot about that one. Are you OK?"

Hermione nodded, steady enough to detach herself from him, wondering as she did how it was possible to have been in his arms twice in half a day. That thought made her cheeks redden and she was glad that he had already turned away.

George called a halt to their work shortly before noon. Hermione was surprised he had done so until she took a look at Fred. She had forgotten this was only his second day out of hospital, but it showed now. His face was white and pinched and his arm unsteady as he pointed his wand.

"I'm hungry" George announced. "Let's take a break. Mum wanted us home for lunch anyway."

Fred shot him a quick, puzzled look and then frowned. "I'm _fine_ George" he muttered, in a tone that told Hermione that this was not the first time George had been protective of his twin's wellbeing.

George shrugged, eyes widening innocently. "Did I say you weren't?"

Fred snorted, but there was a hint of a grudging smile tugging at his lips and he did not protest as George wrapped his arm around him to apparate back to the Burrow.

Hermione, left for a moment in the shop, realised that George hadn't even locked the door. Fred must have seemed frailer than she thought he was. She hastily left the building before locking the door and casting a few protective charms over it for good measure, and then dis-apparated.

She arrived back at the Burrow to find Mrs Weasley fussing over Fred, who sat at the kitchen table with an expression of long-suffering patience.

"…doing too much. I knew you boys wouldn't be sensible…"

Hermione, worried for Mrs Weasley, glanced at George and saw with a measure of relief his broad grin. She edged over to him softly. "Are we in trouble?"

George chuckled. "Granger, we're always in trouble" he said. "You should know that by now."

"I just…feel bad" Hermione confessed, eyeing Mrs Weasley again. "When she's been through so much, you know?"

"Mum? This is how she shows she cares for us" George explained, nodded at his mother. "See, she's not upset. She's always fussed over us; more than the others I think. We've never really known why."

Mrs Weasley had paused for breath and Harry and Ginny chose that moment to enter the house. Distracted, she was unable to stop Fred from taking the opportunity to escape her clutches and collapse gratefully on the sofa.

"Why is it always me?" Hermione heard Fred hiss at his twin, who grinned wickedly and shook his head.

"Remember what she was like when I lost my ear?" George whispered back. "_Days _of this, Freddie. It's your turn. I don't think she'll buy me swapping with you this time."

"She will if you lie on your side" Fred snapped, but he was grinning now. "Please, Forge? You like being fussed over."

"Not by Mum" George said, his nose wrinkling. He shot his brother a quick glare as he opened his mouth again and Fred relented, holding up a hand.

"Secret's safe, Georgie."

Hermione had been watching them with interest, intrigued as always by the way they knew what each other was thinking. The closest she had to their bond was with Harry and Ron, and she was sure that neither of them had ever been capable of fully understanding her feelings. She loved them both dearly, but she knew they struggled to understand even the simplest of emotions at times.

She was pulled from her thoughts by Mrs Weasley's call to summon them back to the kitchen for lunch. Harry was bursting with news little Teddy and Hermione was more than content to listen and to look at the moving photographs that had been taken of Harry with his godson. The little boy was gorgeous; his hair changing from pale lilac to a bright green that matched Harry's eyes as his godfather picked him up and swung him round. It was a charming picture and one Hermione knew Harry would treasure. The fleeting moments he had with his own Godfather had provided Harry with the love and support that he had never known and Hermione knew he would never forgive himself if he didn't provide the same to Teddy. She had been surprised when Remus had asked Harry to be Godfather; wondering at the time why he had chosen a boy who was barely of age and who had had no experience with children. But she should never have doubted her friend. It seemed as though Harry would be exactly what Teddy needed.

After lunch, Fred was sent upstairs with a stern instruction to go to bed for some much-needed rest. George disappeared soon after, as did Harry and Ginny. Hermione, wondering vaguely where Ron was, spent the afternoon doing what she loved best; reading. It had been a long time since she had been able to relax properly and have time to herself and she was content to curl up in an armchair with a cup of tea and a blanket over her legs, snuggled up and content, trying not to think about what she was going to do tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello! Real life just gets in the way, doesn't it? This has been half-written now for weeks and is finally finished and posted. My apologies to anyone who has wanted to read more! I hope this makes it up to you a little. I will try my best to post again soon, but I feel it wouldn't be right to promise anything... Let me know what you think of this next chapter :)

It wasn't until the sun was setting that Hermione was interrupted again. Fred had managed to get down the stairs and cross the room before she looked up, a little startled that she had not heard him. "How can you move so quietly?" Hermione demanded abruptly, her hand creeping over her thumping heart in shock.

Fred grinned at that. "Do you know how long George and I have been sneaking around for?" he replied instantly. He threw himself down beside her on the sofa, stretching out sideways and dumping his feet unceremoniously in her lap.

Hermione bit back her instinctive scolding after one glance at his teasing expression. She would not let him bait her. Merely wriggling a little to get comfortable, she did her best to turn impassively to face him. "Did you want something, or am I just here to hold your feet?"

Laughing, the look in his eyes was of pleased surprise, as if he had not expected that from her. "I just fancied some company," he said, shrugging. "George went back to the shop, but I'm forbidden from following, on pain of pain."

"Don't you mean pain of death?" Hermione asked, confused.

Fred shook his head, grinning. "George has decided that as I cheated death once, that it is a less severe threat. We don't know that I can die, but we are certain I can feel pain."

"You're mad," Hermione declared, but she was smiling.

"Undoubtedly," Fred agreed easily. "But I don't see it as a major drawback." His smile faded a little as he looked at her more closely. "You look exhausted," he declared, but gently. "Did you get no sleep at all after you left us yesterday?"

Hermione shrugged. "I slept," she said. "But my nightmare was pretty bad last night. All day I keep thinking of how badly it might have ended for Harry and I if I had not gone upstairs after him." Once glance up at him told Hermione that she was making no sense. "We had gone to Godric's Hollow," she explained. "Harry had this idea that something might have been left there by Dumbledore. We ended up in Bathilda Bagshot's house. She took Harry off upstairs and left me on my own. There was something wrong with the house, it smelt terrible and I had such a bad feeling about it. I went upstairs after them and saw Harry being attacked by Nagini. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't apparate us away then."

"Where was Ron?" there was a sharpness to Fred's tone that Hermione had not heard before and she sneaked a glance up at him, regretting it instantly. Gone was the good-humoured joker that she knew and a fierce-eyed, stern man sat beside her. There was no way she could talk her way out of this. "Come to think of it, there's large parts of your story that the three have you have been remarkably evasive about," he added, almost to himself. "Hermione, what happened to Ron?"

There was no way out of this conversation, Hermione realised. Unlike Ron, Fred was shrewdly intelligent, whatever his OWL scores said. She knew she would not be able to lie convincingly enough to fool him. "He left, for a while," she confessed softly. "We had a huge argument and he apparated away. Harry and I had to move on before he came back, and our protective enchantments meant that he couldn't find us again. He found a way back, in the end." The angry light in his eyes as she looked up again made her lean across and cover his hand with hers. "Fred, he saved Harry's life when he came back. Without Ron, Harry would be dead."

Fred's eyes flashed. "But he _left_, the git. How dare he even look at you, let alone make us all believe how brave he was, and what a good friend. Hermione, I don't know how you could forgive him for something like that."

Hermione shrugged. "I thought the same, to begin with," she said. "But Harry needed him, so I couldn't hold a grudge. If he hadn't have come back when he did, Harry would have drowned in an icy lake and I would never have known where he went. I'd have been left in a tent on my own without even a wand to protect me. We couldn't afford to stay angry at him."

Fred had calmed a little, she saw, but there was still an odd tightness to his face, suggesting that his jaw was clenched in anger. "Let it go," she advised him quietly. "There's nothing that can be done now. If it's any consolation, he knew how angry you all would be. He hid at Bill's house so he didn't have to see any of you. Bill wasn't happy about it, but I think Ron thought you, George and Ginny would tear him to pieces."

"He got that right at least," Fred agreed. "He's lucky we didn't know before. George and I were a little … angry that year with nothing to distract us."

"Thank Merlin you're so composed now then," Hermione replied, with a slight smile.

At least Fred's sense of humour could still get the better of him, she thought, watching a grudging smile creep into his eyes, softening the fierce anger. "I'm a shining example of composure," he protested, grinning. "Look at how I'm not tracking Ron down and ripping his ears off right now."

"Your Mother would be proud," Hermione replied, chuckling.

That night at dinner, Fred and George had an air of purpose about them that Hermione had not seen since they had begun inventing for their joke shop in earnest back at Hogwarts. The atmosphere in the room was unusually strained, but it was not long before Mr Weasley noticed and asked the twins what was wrong.

"We're going to Hogwarts tomorrow," George explained. "They're beginning the repairs and we've asked to be part of it."

"Are you sure you're going to be needed?" Mrs Weasley asked, before anyone else had even had time to draw breath. "I'm not sure that it's such a good idea."

"We're going, Mum," Fred said, his voice unusually firm.

"We just thought we should give everyone else the opportunity to come with us," George said, glancing round at the others.

Ginny exchanged glances with Harry and turned back to her brothers. "Sorry, guys, count us out," she said, shrugging.

"I wouldn't be any help," Harry added, grimacing.

"I'm in," Hermione said, surprising herself with the conviction in her tone. She had remained undecided about her choice for the whole day. Most of her truly did not want to face her fear, to return to the destroyed castle that had once seemed so safe and so permanent. But there were deeper problems buried within her, ghosts she had to lie to rest. She had to try.

Mrs Weasley opened her mouth to protest, but for once someone else beat her to it.

"Are you mental?" It was the first time Ron had addressed her directly in days and his tone made Hermione turn quickly. Ron's face had turned an odd shade of red and he was glaring at her in a mixture of confusion and what almost looked like disgust. "Why do you want to put yourself through that? There's something wrong with you." He shook his head. "I thought you'd have seen enough evil without volunteering to see more."

"You just don't get it, do you?"

That was Fred. He had half-risen from his seat, cheeks flushed red and eyes flashing. He had moved so quickly that his hair was across his face. "How dare you sit there and judge what you don't understand?"

"Whoa, Freddie." George tugged his twin back down, but the glare he fixed on Ron was no less fierce than Fred's. "You should think about what you've said, Ron," he said.

Ron's glare darkened and he pushed his chair back so hard that it squeaked across the floor. "What do you two know?" he spat. "Like _you_ suffered. You don't know what we went through; how hard it was."

"Do you think we might have run away?" Fred retorted icily, his eyes boring into his younger brother's. That we might have just given up and walked out on our friends?"

Ron's eyes landed squarely on Hermione and she could read the angry betrayal in them. Turning on his heel, he marched away outside and she heard the 'pop' as he disapparated.

Not quite trusting herself to speak or to think about what had just happened, Hermione pushed her chair back, muttered an apology and fled upstairs. Whatever had just passed between Fred and Ron was undeniably confusing, she thought, as she reached the sanctuary of Ginny's room and collapsed on her bed. Part of her wished she was not the one who had supplied Fred which had wounded his brother so effectively, but she was sure that no-one else would have understood what he was saying. The truth was bound to come out one day, but only she, Ron and Harry had known what Fred was alluding to. She had not expected Fred to come to her rescue, but she remembered the secret he was keeping, that he was still being haunted by a curse. Perhaps the real reason for him firing up was because of that, and the pain of keeping it hidden from everyone else.

A soft tap at the door came a moment later, and Ginny tiptoed into the room. "Are you OK?" she asked, sitting down next to Hermione. "Ron was out of order, you know."

"I know," Hermione replied numbly, picking at a frayed spot on the sleeve of her jumper.

"There's just one thing I don't understand," Ginny continued, frowning. "How did Fred know about Ron leaving you guys?"

Hermione looked up at her in some confusion. "How…?"

"Harry told me," Ginny explained. "He's told me absolutely everything. We thought it best, if I was to help him start his life over."

"I told Fred," Hermione admitted.

Ginny's look of surprise was fleeting and was soon replaced by a sly grin. "So there _is_ a reason for Fred to be defending you so strongly?"

"Ginny," Hermione said warningly. "Don't read anything into this. We've just been talking a bit over the past couple of days. Fred and George have been…kind."

Ginny's eyebrows rose at that. "The _twins? _ I didn't think you got on with them really."

Hermione shrugged. "It's nice after spending so much time alone."

Ginny's face fell and she put out an impulsive hand. "I'm so sorry," she said quickly. "I've been so focused on Harry…"

"I'm not cross," Hermione cut in, covering Ginny's hand with hers and managing a smile. "I've been so grateful that you've spent so much time with Harry. He's so much better already than I ever thought he would be. I could never have stood in the way of that; it's about time Harry's wellbeing was put first. But I haven't begun to deal with things myself. Fred, well, he noticed. They're both so honest about how they feel and I have to say it's pretty refreshing to talk to boys who understand that emotions actually exist."

Ginny laughed at that. "Harry and Ron are pretty rubbish," she agreed. "I'm glad you're not on your own, especially now Ron…" she trailed off and looked at Hermione, wide-eyed.

"I know Ron's up to something that I'm not to know about," Hermione said, withholding her sigh with an effort. Her anger faded as she saw Ginny's apologetic expression. "I'm not cross with you, Gin. I just wish that he didn't feel he had to hide things from me. But, right now, I'm quite glad he doesn't want to see me. I'm so _angry_ with him. I can't understand how someone who's known me for so long doesn't actually know me at all."

"Ron's always been a prat, and he's never going to change," Ginny said with certainty. "Look, Hermione, don't let him or anyone else change your mind about going to school tomorrow. I think it's amazing that you feel strong enough to go back, especially when it's still in ruins."

"I'm not better," Hermione admitted, managing a slight smile at Ginny's quick, confused look. "It's Fred and George's idea really, to face it all head on. Hogwarts is the first real symbol of the wizarding world to me. To see it in ruins is to see the wizarding world in ruins. Likewise, to help restore it might help to restore that part of myself. I think it's a little mad, but it's got to be worth a try."

"It sounds like a good plan," Ginny agreed, but she was frowning and suddenly she turned and faced Hermione head on. "You'll have to look out for yourself, though," she warned. "It's going to be so hard for Fred and George to go back. You know it's where they were nearly separated forever. They're not going to find it as easy as they think. Mum's so worried about them."

"Why does she worry so much about the twins?" Hermione asked, frowning.

Ginny shrugged. "I've never really thought about it," she said. "I didn't really realise she did. Maybe it seems that way because it's always them in trouble?"

"Maybe," Hermione agreed, knowing that there was a meaning behind it somewhere. She didn't know why she found it so intriguing, but she wanted to find out the reason for it. "I should probably go back down; I don't want to worry your Mum."

"OK." Ginny hopped up from the bed and pulled the door open. "There's chocolate cake for dessert." She grinned as she saw Hermione's smile and led the way downstairs.

Dinner had finished in the time Hermione was upstairs and so the girls joined the others in the lounge. Ron had not reappeared, but the others were gathered round in front of the fire. Ginny cut two slices of the depleted cake and handed Hermione a plate before they sat down. Harry had made a space for Ginny and Hermione curled up on the hearth rug, leaning her back against his chair. Feeling eyes on her, Hermione looked up and saw both Fred and George watching her. George pulled a face but then grinned and looked away, clearly satisfied that she wasn't simply putting on a brave face. Fred's eyes, though, lingered on her longer and a slight frown creased his freckled forehead. It seemed as though he had something to say, but didn't know how to begin.

Hermione had never seen him lost for words before, and found it more than a little disquieting.

She was grateful that Ginny began a heated discussion with George about the new season of Quidditch that was about to begin. It was a subject that Hermione knew little about, and so she was able to let the talk flow over her, smiling a little as the discussion led Harry to speak up in defence of a player Hermione had never even heard of. Soon, the sound of teasing arguments and laughter filled the little room and Hermione felt able to relax. It was strange how much this had begun to feel like home.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm finding it difficult to keep this story flowing, but bear with me and I'll do my best to get it right. Any suggestions, criticisms etc. are always welcome. Thank you for reading...

The next day, Hermione was up before dawn. She had spent a restless night, wondering what exactly she had allowed herself to be drawn into. Finally, she gave up on the idea of sleep and got dressed before sneaking out of the bedroom and downstairs. She sensed movement in the room beyond and decided to creep forward on silent feet to discover who else was up at such an early hour, figuring she could slip away unnoticed depending on who it was. The fire had been stirred up and filled the small room with a dark orange glow. A man sat on a low stool sideways on to her, watching the fire. Clad in only a pair of frayed pyjama trousers, he sat hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees and his chin cupped in his hands. Flickering shadows danced along his naked torso and Hermione gulped unsteadily. How had she never noticed the strength of those wide shoulders, the thick muscles of his arms or the lean hardness of his body? Fred was undeniably, well, beautiful. Her gaze lifted to his face, entranced by the way the soft light flickered, highlighting the chiselled features. But then she saw his eyes, filled with dancing flames, haunted and lost. She could not stay watching any longer, not when she could see him hurting.

She crossed the room slowly, hoping she was doing the right thing by interrupting his thoughts, but conscious of her heart thumping in her chest. Close now, she was about to kneel beside him and softly call his name when he moved. More quickly than Hermione thought could be possible, Fred had spun to his feet, his wand raised and rested against her neck. His eyes were distant, his eyebrows drawn into a frown above them. He was not himself, Hermione could see that, even through her panic-clouded eyes. She tried to speak, but had to force herself to swallow before any sound could come out. "Fred," she managed eventually. "Fred, it's Hermione. I'm a friend."

The frown deepened and his gaze seemed to turn inward, almost as if he could not see her there any more. Trembling, Hermione found the courage to reach out and touch his hand that clutched the wand so tightly. Emboldened by his lack of reaction, Hermione closed her fist around his and moved closer to him, her free hand going to his cheek. "Fred?" she tried again. "Fred can you hear me?"

She felt his body tremble at her touch, his eyes closed and then snapped open. The wand clattered to the floor and his eyes filled with pain and confusion.

"Hermione?" His voice was hoarse and oddly child-like. "What…?"

"It's OK," she told him, conscious of how badly her voice shook. "I caught you when you were lost in thought and I startled you. I nearly cursed George when he did the same thing to me."

Fred sat down, his legs seemingly unsteady, obviously confused. "I have no memory of it," he whispered, his voice unsure and pain-filled. "How can I not know what just happened? This is getting bad." He dropped his head into his hands and suddenly Hermione understood why he was so frightened. The curse he had told her of, the one he carried within him, had made him threaten her without him even being aware of it.

Her arms were around him before she could stop herself. For one moment, she thought he would shy away, but then he pulled her onto his lap, buried his head against her neck and his arms were around her so tightly it was almost a struggle to breathe. She felt _tiny_ within the powerful circle of his arms, so safe and protected even though it was him seeking comfort from her. If someone had told her, a week ago, that she would be snuggled against Fred Weasley's naked chest she would have called them mad. But here she was, and she tried not to dwell on how good it felt, but applied herself to the task of soothing him. Her hand crept up to his head, stroking his dark red hair back from his face. He was still trembling, but he was getting himself under control, his breathing slowing and becoming less stilted, his arms slackening their death-grip around her.

Eventually, he pulled back from her enough to be able to meet her eyes. Even in the dim glow of the fire, Hermione could see the dusky flush across his cheeks, but he met her gaze squarely. "I'm sorry for scaring you," he murmured, keeping one arm securely around her but reaching up and tugging one of her curls with his other hand.

Hermione swallowed uneasily, confused by the warmth that had crept into his eyes and the odd, caressing note in his voice. "It's Ok," she replied. "I shouldn't have snuck up on you like I did." She felt his arm tighten and then relax just as quickly, knowing that her words had caused it but not understanding why.

"I'll get George to hide my wand when I go to sleep," Fred said suddenly. "I could have really hurt you."

The sudden confession explained it all. He was afraid of what else he might be capable of doing under the influence of the curse. Hermione's heart went out to him, and again she found herself wishing that she could help him. She looked up at him again, easily reading the pain he felt and could no longer hide from her. "I should have known better," she told him. "You shared your secret with me, after all. I could see that you weren't yourself but I didn't think clearly. You have nothing to blame yourself for, you know."

His eyes softened as she spoke and Hermione shivered as the fingers that tucked her hair back from her face lingered against her cheek in an unmistakeable caress. There was fire of a different sort now burning in the look he gave her and her heart raced as he moved closer still, a hand sliding beneath her hair.

"Fred!" the hoarse whisper made them both jerk away from one another, and Fred's head whipped around as the voice came again. "Fred, where are you?"

Hermione used the distraction to slip from Fred's slackened grip and sneak from the room before George came in. She needed some space from him, some time to herself in which to think. As inexperienced as she was, she was sure that Fred had been going to kiss her, and that she too had been leaning in. But was that what she wanted? Was that what _he _wanted? Hermione had not lived alongside the twins as long as she had done without learning a few things about the boys' reputations. She knew that they were both popular; from the way Parvati and Lavender has spoken about them, both Fred and George had kissed practically the whole female population of Hogwarts. She could not be sure how true it was, but she was sure that she was not the type of girl Fred had been known to date. He would probably have come to regret it, if he had kissed her. Doubtless it was fuelled by the adrenalin flowing after he had regained control of himself from the curse that resided within him. Yes, that was it. Suddenly, Hermione was glad that George had interrupted them. She had to admit to herself that her feelings for Fred were slightly more than purely… friendly now. She knew she had wanted that kiss, but she did not want him to stop spending time with her. She could only hope she had not ruined their sudden closeness by running away just now.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Hermione returned to the room she had just escaped to see that both twins had vanished. Sighing, she picked a book up from a side-table, and settled down by the fire to read. It seemed as though if she wanted to talk to Fred she would have to wait.

Breakfast was an oddly quiet and solemn affair considering how many Weasleys sat around the table. Mrs Weasley was wringing her hands and frowning, sighing every time she looked at the twins. Fred and George were studiously ignoring their mother, speaking softly to one another so that no-one else could hear them. Ron, Hermione realised as she sat down, was glaring directly at her. She considered challenging him on it, but she knew there was no point. He was angry with her and angry he would remain for the present. She knew from past experience that there was no way of changing his mind when he was like that. Hermione was not nearly hungry enough to remain and was about to get up when Fred's eyes lifted to meet hers. He was still speaking to George, but he gave her a quick, conspiratorial wink that made her heart lift. Perhaps she had not done too much damage by running out on him after all.

Before long, the time had come for them to apparate to Hogsmeade. Armed with wands and a huge lunch that Mrs Weasley had made despite her feelings towards their mission, Hermione and the twins stood ready in the garden. Ron had vanished as soon as he had eaten, but Harry and Ginny had come out to see them off. Harry surprised Hermione by giving her a brief hug.

"You will look after yourself?" he asked as he stepped back and pushed his glasses up his nose.

"Don't worry about me," Hermione reassured him. "I won't do anything more than I think I can cope with."

Harry nodded, looking faintly relieved. "Good."  
"Don't let those two lead you astray," Ginny added, grinning. "I want to hear everything when you get back."

The sly wink that accompanied those words made Hermione frown. It seemed that Ginny was determined to find gossip somewhere. She was about to reply when the twins stepped forward and Fred grabbed her around the waist.

"Time to go!"

That was George, grinning as he pulled out his wand and dis-apparated.

"Hold on tight, love," Fred whispered in her ear and then Hermione felt that all-too familiar sickening tug as she was spun far away.

"You have got to stop doing that!" she exclaimed as soon as she got her breath back.

The scolding tone did no more than widen Fred's grin. "You mean you don't want me to whisk you off into the sunset? Where's your adventurous spirit, Hermione?" He shook his head in mock despair, but his smile turned soft as she blushed.

"Oi, come on you two!" George was a good way up the street already, impatient to get on with the day. It was clear their alone time was over.

The walk from Hogsmeade was strange without Harry and Ron. The twins' teasing chatter had all but vanished after a few minutes, letting Hermione knew with surety that they were both worried. She found that more unnerving than she would have cared to admit. Fred and George had always thrown themselves into any situation with whole-hearted abandon and, right now, she could have used some of that from them. They rounded the final corner and Hermione staggered at the sight that met her frightened eyes. The great gates hung drunkenly from twisted hinges, and the castle behind them was not much more than a ruin. She had known that the damage had been extensive, but she had not been capable of paying much attention to it at the time. This was a hundred times worse than seeing the state of the twins' shop. Hermione could move no closer.

But then Fred was on one side of her and George on the other. "The only way to put this right is to move forward," Fred said softly, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

"We're going to need all the help there is," George added, surprising Hermione by taking her other hand.

She looked up at George and then at Fred, her gaze lingering on his unusually solemn face. She took a deep breath and managed to nod, letting them pull her on. Each step felt as if she was being pulled back by invisible hands wrapped around her legs. But she was not alone in her pain, she knew that. Both Fred and George's jaws were firmly set, their eyes grim and distant. But their step never faltered and they both cast the odd, reassuring glance down at her as well as at each other. They were in this together, all three of them.

As they approached the huge front doors, Hermione began to make out shapes moving amongst the debris; the rebuilding had already begun. The great shape of Hagrid was unmistakeable, moving in the far distance, the tiny professor Flitwick hurrying along beside him. Various students and parents worked in groups, levitating huge pieces of masonry back into place. Turning back to look at the space where the front doors used to be, Hermione managed a smile as she saw Professor McGonagall.

The elderly witch raised her eyebrows as she saw the approaching trio, and she said: "So I see you have found two new troublemakers to accompany you, Miss Granger."

"Actually, Professor, they invited me along," Hermione said.

At that, Professor McGonagall's eyebrows rose so high they were almost lost beneath her hat. Her eyes lost their friendly twinkle as she looked first at Fred and then at George. "Do you know," she said, her voice stern. "One of the few things that survived the attack was the remnants of you two's swamp? You spent your entire school career doing your utmost to destroy pieces of this school, and now you are here to rebuild it? You must understand my reluctance to allow you to remain here. This is not the occasion for practical jokers."

Hermione stiffened at the professors' words. How could she speak so harshly to those who were here to help, regardless of how it would affect them? She heard a soft chuckle and she looked up, confused.

Fred's eyes were shining they met hers, the familiar teasing light brightening them as he touched her cheek softly. "Thinking of defending us?" he asked. "I believe that the last time we were here together you were taking house points away from me." His smile faded, but his eyes were no less intense as he added, as if the Professor was not standing in front of them: "She's just worried that this day will be even more harrowing than it will be anyway. The swamp's a dead giveaway. You know that the professors could have removed it years ago if they had wanted to. She doesn't hate us really."

Hermione, somewhat mollified, relaxed still further as she saw the bemused expression on her old professor's face. There was no anger there, just concern; she could understand that.

George had remained unusually silent so far, but now he broke in, clearly impatient to begin. "Where can we start?"

Still apparently confused by what had just taken place before her, the professor consulted her clipboard before assigning them to a part of the grounds that had not yet been touched. "If you are unsure of a charm or counter-curse, please ask someone before attempting to use it." Her voice was stern and again made Hermione stiffen in annoyance. But before she could respond, the twins beat her to it.

"You'd think you had taught us well enough, Professor, that we wouldn't need help," George replied caustically.

"We are not first years, you know," Fred added. "Do you know that Hermione here defeated Lord Voldermort? And we've invented products which the ministry used to protect their staff from dark magic last year?"

"Give us the credit we deserve, we aren't kids anymore." George, scowling slightly, turned on his heel and strode away, Fred and Hermione close behind him and leaving the Professor staring after them.

"Anyone would think McGonagall just touched a nerve," Hermione observed as they rounded the corner to the spot they had been assigned.

George shrugged, a slight grin tugging at his lips. "Come on, she deserved it," he said.

"You have to admit we had a point," Fred added, grinning. "And that did feel good; being able to say that without hearing the word "Detention!" in response."

Hermione considered pointing out how difficult this day must be for the professor as well, but decided against it. For once, she whole-heartedly supported them against a teacher. She had to supress her wry smile as she considered how quickly things had changed. But it was not time to think of such things now. She took a deep breath to steel herself, glancing up to find both Fred and George watching her.

"Ready?" George asked, his voice losing the cheerful note it usually held as he glanced up at the crumbled stone.

Hermione swallowed and nodded, taking her wand out of her pocket. Fred copied her movement, with an unsteady hand.

"Let's do this." His voice was low, but vehement. Hermione could only admire his grim determination. All three of them were hurting, Fred probably more than anyone, but they were here, and they would give all that they could.


End file.
